This Saturday night at The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, welterweight, Anthony "Juice" Young (20-2) gets the biggest fight of his career so far when he takes on ex-WBO junior middleweight titlle holder Sadam Ali (27-2) on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez vs. Daniel Jacobs world middleweight championship fightr, live on DAZN. Young, from Atlantic City, New Jersey, has been a pro for eight years and has compiled a respectable mark of 20-2 with seven knockouts. Saturday will be his first fight on the world stage and outside of the East Coast when he takes on Ali, a former world title holder and also a 2008 Olympian.
"Training camp has been good. I just fought om March 23rd (a sixth-round stoppage over Juan Rodriguez Jr), so I just took a couple days off and went right back in the gym. I have had a solid six-week camp for this fight," said Young.
Young feels that he has been overlooked in his career. "All that I have ever wanted was an opportunity. This was presented to us, and we jumped on it. I have fought the bulk of my career at home in Atlantic City. I feel there is more pressure in that. I won't feel any pressure on Saturday. I just know that after Saturday, the whole boxing world will know who I am."
A win over the well-known Ali is just what Young has been clamoring for, and the 31 year-old has had his eye on Ali for a long time. "I have been following Ali for a long time. My goal was to make the Olympic team, and he got on the team in 2008. He's a great fighter. He is an Olympian, who defeated a legend in Miguel Cotto to become a [WBO] champion. I think he was over-matched in terms of size when they put him in with Munguia. He is a world class fighter, but so am I. Saturday, the world will see that. A win will put me on the world stage, and will show that I am a player in the welterweight division. I want to fight everybody. I just want to thank everyone on my team, and I am dedicating this fight to [former IBF lightweight champion] Leavander Johnson [who died due to injuries sustained in a title fight] and his father Bill. Leavander was the last Atlantic City fighter to get to this stage and Saturday, I will do everyone proud."
Ali returned to his natural weight class, welterweight, after losing his 154-pound title to Jaime Munguia.
Long-time manager Rich Masini of Masini Boxing Management has carefully but aggressively moved his welterweight prospect, young for eight- years . "I believe Anthony is more then ready for this fight, and will be victorious. Every fighter dreams of the getting the opportunity to change their lives and career. We have a great team with trainer's Raul "Chino" Rivas, Reggie Lloyd, Rashiem Jefferson and cutman Nick Rosario. Also Anthony's dad who has helped me navigate his career. His team has always been a pleasure to work with and his father Teany is a big part of our team. His family is also a big part of our team, and they are great people. They will have a strong showing to support him in Vegas," says Masini